Key Takeaways (TL;DR): Melbourne is Australia’s culture, coffee, and culinary capital. Highlights include taking a sports precinct tour to play on the Australian Open blue courts, riding the historic Puffing Billy steam train, watching the St Kilda Pier little penguins, and driving out to the Yarra Valley for wine tastings at Dominique Portet and Oakridge.

Melbourne brought a completely different energy to the trip – a bustling, culture-rich metropolis with vibrant laneways, historic trams, and a big food and drink scene. Combining the urban pulse of the city with sports heritage and day trips to Victoria’s unique flora made for an unforgettable second leg of our journey.

Part 1: Melbourne City Highlights

Where We Stayed & Getting Around

We stayed at the Marriott Docklands, a comfortable mid-level hotel in a quieter part of town. While the Docklands area itself felt a bit unusual with many shops closed and quiet streets, the waterfront was very pretty. Plus, the free city circle trams stopped right out front, making navigation super easy. City trains were fantastic, allowing us to skip the hustle of navigating on foot across the broader metro area.

City Vibe, Street Art & Nightlife

Melbourne is extremely busy – feeling a bit like New York with its crowds, though without the concrete jungle feel. Flinders Street station functions as the local Times Square, constantly buzzing with people.

  • Free Tram Tour: The free trams are a great way to see the city. Specifically the 35 Tram is meant for tourists and includes a pre-recorded commentary (though when the train is busy it is hard to hear)
  • Laneways & Street Art: We loved exploring the iconic laneway dining spots off Flinders Lane (rather than the main street) and taking in the world-class street art at Hosier Lane and AC/DC Lane.
  • Music & Vinyl Bars: Vinyl bars are huge here, we spent a great evening at HER Melbourne soaking in the music atmosphere.
  • Dining Round-Up: We had a delicious dinner and club atmosphere at Past / Port. We also dined at Maha and Panda Hot Pot, which were good, though perhaps a bit “good, not great” relative to expectations.

Sports Culture & Australian Open Arenas

Tennis icons at the Rod Laver Arena Melbourne Australia

Melbourne is world-famous for its obsession with sports, so taking a dedicated sports tour was a fantastic decision.

  • Behind-the-Scenes Tour: The tour took us right through the major sporting precincts, including behind the scenes at the Australian Open / Melbourne Park.
  • Hitting the Blue Courts: The highlight was getting out onto the iconic blue hard courts to hit around and play! It served as a brilliant alternative style of city tour, giving us a deep look into Melbourne’s history, culture, and passion from a completely unique perspective.

Puffing Billy & The St Kilda Penguins

Traveler sitting with legs dangling from the historic Puffing Billy steam train carriage in Victoria Australia
  • Puffing Billy Steam Train: Getting out of the city to ride the historic Puffing Billy Railway through the Dandenong Ranges was fantastic. It’s a great way to see Australia’s distinct native flora, and sitting right on the open edge of the carriage with your legs hanging out is so much fun. It involves a bit of travel time to get out to Belgrave, but you definitely don’t need to arrive super early.
  • St Kilda Pier Penguins: Seeing the resident little penguins through the St Kilda Little Penguins Viewing program was a highlight—they make it a fantastic, well-managed experience and seeing them come ashore is completely worth it. Pro-Tip for Booking Tickets: Tickets are mandatory and book out within minutes! You have to be extremely vigilant when they launch online on Mondays at 8:00 PM EST. Expect it to take up to an hour for the booking site to load once everyone hits the server at once, but stay patient in the queue because securing a spot is 100% worth it.

Part 2: Yarra Valley Vineyard Day

To round out our time in Victoria, we headed out to the Yarra Valley for a day of world-class wine tasting.

  • Driving on the Left: Renting a car and driving on the left side of the road was definitely an adjustment, but navigating out of the city and into the countryside was smooth sailing once we got into the rhythm!
  • Winery Stops: We spent the day exploring top-tier estates, stopping for lunch at Rochford Wines followed by seated tastings at Dominique Portet and Oakridge Wines.
Wine tasting Yarra valley

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